FAQ’s

No, most definitely not! 

NLP is a pseudoscientific approach to coaching with very little real evidence to back it up. (Some people even go as far as saying it is a quasi-religion!) 

The founders of NLP, Richard Bandler and John Grinder said “We call ourselves modelers. What we essentially do is to pay very little attention to what people say they do and a great deal of attention to what they do. And then we build ourselves a model of what they do. We are not psychologists and we’re also not theologians or theoreticians. We have no idea about the “real” nature of things and we are not particularly interested in what’s “true”.

There’s no doubt that NLP is popular and some of the very well known coaches and “gurus” are heavily influenced by NLP in their approaches. However, there is very little evidence of its effectiveness or the results it claims to achieve.

NLP is therefore in complete contrast to what I’m trying to achieve. Pretty much everything I offer is backed up by real, peer reviewed neuroscience and if something doesn’t have sufficient research behind it, I make this very clear.

I can’t speak for other coaches, but this is what you can expect if you work with me.

First and most importantly, everything you discuss with me is entirely confidential. This means you can relax, open up and tell me what you’re really thinking. This is important if we are going to make the most of our sessions together.

When we start working together we will discuss what you want to achieve and then we will make a plan to help you achieve it. What we’re ultimately looking to achieve is a long-term, positive change in your life, rather than just solving a specific problem (although we may well solve a few of these along the way).

My approach is quite informal and relaxed, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t be challenging. To get the best results we may need to go deep into issues and be very clear about anything that is holding us back and why. So, it could feel uncomfortable at times. They’re also pretty intensive so you may leave them feeling exhausted.

However, I’m here to support you and help you through this process and ensure you get the most out of them

What isn’t going to happen is you sit back and wait for me to give you all the answers. This isn’t what coaching is about. With coaching, the answers come from you and my jobs as your coach is to help you reach a solution that you are happy with.

But, unlike other coaches, I’m not afraid to share an opinion, or advice or offer some training along the way where it is within my expertise to do so. 

Coaching sessions generally last about an hour and they are usually carried out online. However, we can meet face-to-face if that is what you prefer.

The International Coaching Federation is the leading global organization for coaches and coaching. Their mission is to advance the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification and building a worldwide network of trained coaching professionals.

I wholeheartedly agree with their mission and work to the standards they set. However, the ICF is for coaches who only want to provide coaching services. ICF-accredited coaches will not provide training, consulting, expert opinion or advice. 

Personally, I don’t think this is the best approach because I don’t believe it leads to the best outcome for my clients.

I prefer to offer a blended approach of coaching, consulting, mentoring and training because my mission is to help you achieve your goals quickly. If I need to share an opinion, or advice or offer training to accomplish this, I will. So, this means I don’t qualify for ICF accreditation.

Flow is an optimal state of consciousness where you feel your best and you perform your best. Find out more here.

This is entirely down to you, but if you’re prepared to put in the work, they could be life changing.

If you can access flow regularly, these are the sorts of results you could achieve: 

• McKinsey & Company found a 500% increase in productivity in executives who regularly access flow.
• Harvard University found that subjects continued to have three days of heightened creativity after a flow state
• Advanced Brain Monitoring and Darpa found that subjects in flow have a 490% increase in skill acquisition
• The University of Sydney found that subjects in flow have a 430% increase in creative problem solving

This is a personal choice. For some people once a week is optimal but others prefer ad hoc sessions. It really depends on what you are trying to achieve and how fast you want to see the results.

Again, this is a personal choice depending on your desired achievement and preferred learning style. If you’re unsure, perhaps start with the 8-week programme and then continue with some further 1:1 coaching.

Yes, I’ve been a lawyer for over 20 years but that’s not all I have done. I have a science background, have run other businesses and have been training with the Flow Research Collective for the past few years. So, I’m now a fully certified peak performance coach too.

Find out more about me here.

The Flow Research Collective is the global leader in peak performance research and training. You can read more about them here.

As an FRC certified peak performance coach I have successfully completed their intensive training programme. This involved several elements:

First, it provided me with a thorough understanding of the neuroscience of peak performance and flow states;

Second, it provided me with full access to the Flow Research Collective coaching framework so that I can pass on all of the exercises and protocols when I’m working with you; and 

Third, I carried out my own original research product, which I will be publishing as a series of blog posts very soon.